Just predicting the end of the world like all the warmists....
1951
Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D, 37 years after Jesus death. In 1950 Watchtower articles made comparison to this. In 1951 it was stated we are 37 years into the ""time of the end" of Satan's world", hinting that it could be the end of the world.
"More proof that such system had ended was given thirty-seven years later when the Jewish priests were forcibly deprived of their sacrificial work by the destruction of their typical temple, which has continued unrestored till this very day. Today, after more than thirty years of similar harvest work, how well we see prefigured in that Jewish harvesting and threshing what is in progress in Christendom today! When we call to mind the horrible end that came upon the Jewish capital and its besieged inhabitants back there, we shudder at the more terrible end that is shortly to come upon hypocritical Christendom and its confusion of religions." Watchtower 1950 Nov 1 pp.407-408
"The instruction these examples of divine help contain should not now be lost upon us. They were recorded for the benefit of God's people now "upon whom the accomplished ends of the systems of things have arrived". (1 Cor. 10:11, NW) Counting from the end of the "appointed times of the nations" in 1914, we are 37 years into the "time of the end" of this world." Watchtower 1951 Mar 15 p.179
"WHEREAS the "appointed times of the nations" ended in 1914, it is now 37 years that we have been in the "time of the end" of Satan's world. (Dan. 12:4; 11:40) During all this time Jehovah's witnesses have become increasingly active and prominent. Why? Who commissioned them and gave them their message? Has their witness accomplished its purpose after all these years? Or must it be classed as a failure? All this was answered in Isaiah's vision at the temple." Watchtower 1951 Apr 1 p.214
In 1952 this 37 year concept was abandoned. Rather the idea of a 'generation' was discussed.
"The Bible does speak of a man's days as being threescore and ten or fourscore years; but it assigns no specific number of years to a generation.-Ps. 90:10." Watchtower 1952 Sep 1 pp.542-543
Even if it did, we could not calculate from such a figure the date of Armageddon, for the texts here under discussion do not say God's battle comes right at the end of this generation, but before its end. To try to say how many years before its end would be speculative. The texts merely set a limit that is sufficiently definite for all present practical purposes. Some persons living A.D. 1914 when the series of foretold events began will also be living when the series ends with Armageddon. All the events will come within the span of a generation. There are hundreds of millions of persons living now that were living in 1914, and many millions of these persons could yet live a score or more years. Just when the lives of the majority of them will be cut short by Armageddon we cannot say."
The
"generation" concept is another doctrine that has had to go through numerous revisions. In 1995 it was extended to be able to include several generations of people, no longer just those "living A.D. 1914". In 2010, it was changed to an "overlapping" generation, which extends it to two full lifetimes from 1914; potentially as far as the year 2114.
1975
It was implied that the end would occur in 1975, since this was 6,000 years from the creation of Adam. See
1975 for a full discussion of this date.
1980
1980 was said to potentially be the year that the Jews are resurrected, based on it being a 70 year period from Russell's 1910 lecture to the Jews.
"It is possible that A. D. 1980 may have something of special interest for Fleshly Israel, but certainly not for us. It is 70 years beyond 1910, the date when Pastor Russell gave his great witness to the Jewish people in the New York Hippodrome." Studies in the Scriptures - The Finished Mystery p.62
"The date 1980, mentioned on pages 61, 62, [of The Finished Mystery] probably marks the regathering of all of Fleshly Israel from their captivity in death." The Parable of the Penny p.6
1986
1986 was the United Nations year of peace. This was an exciting time for Witnesses, due to the implication that it could be the 'cry of peace and security' that precedes Armageddon, something I remember discussing at great lengths.
"Yet one more event will come as an unmistakable signal that world destruction is imminent. Of this the apostle Paul wrote: "Jehovah's day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. Whenever it is that they are saying: 'Peace and security!' then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them . . . and they will by no means escape."-1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3; Luke 21:34, 35. The world's leaders know that a nuclear war means virtual extinction. Also, critical problems such as pollution, the population explosion, and domestic problems demand attention and money. So they want to relax the strained international relations. An evidence of this is the proclamation by the United Nations of 1986 as the 'international year of peace and security.' This, no doubt, is a step toward the fulfillment of Paul's above-quoted words." True Peace and Security - How Can You Find It? (1986) p.85 When Will the Foretold World Destruction Come?
2000
2000 was not stated to be the end, but there was strong indication that it would be impossible for Armageddon not to come before 2000.
"And if the wicked system of this world survived until the turn of the century, which is highly improbable in view of world trends and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, there would still be survivors of the World War I generation." Watchtower 1980 Oct 15 p.31
"Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah p. 216
"Some of that "generation" could survive until the end of the century. But there are many indications that "the end" is much closer than that!" Watchtower 1984 Mar 1 pp.18-19
"He was laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century". Watchtower 1989 Jan 1 p.12.
The 1989
Watchtower used the term "in our 20th century" in the magazine, but this was changed to "in our day" for the bound volume and subsequent CD library. Click on the thumbnails to compare the magazine version to the bound volume.
I pioneered during the late 1980's and was strongly influenced by the statements in the 1980's articles. I told my Bible studies and many people when preaching that it would be almost impossible that the end would not have arrived by the year 2000.
2033
2033 is not a changed date but shows the attitude of serving to a date still seems to exist within the Organization. In 2003 a concept was touched upon, with attention being draw to the fact that Noah's last days went for 120 years.
In Noah's day, Jehovah declared: "My spirit shall not act toward man indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3) The issuance of this divine decree in 2490 B.C.E. marked the beginning of the end for that ungodly world. Just think what that meant for those then living! Only 120 years more and Jehovah would bring "the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force of life is active from under the heavens."-Genesis 6:17. Noah received the warning of the upcoming catastrophe decades in advance, and he wisely used the time to prepare for survival. "After being given divine warning of things not yet beheld," says the apostle Paul, "[Noah] showed godly fear and constructed an ark for the saving of his household." (Hebrews 11:7) What about us? Some 90 years have passed since the last days of this system of things began in 1914. We are certainly in "the time of the end." (Daniel 12:4) How should we respond to warnings we have been given? "He that does the will of God remains forever," states the Bible. (1 John 2:17) Now is therefore the time to do Jehovah's will with a keen sense of urgency." Watchtower 2003 Dec 15 p.15 "Warned of "Things Not Yet Beheld"
There is no specific statement in the article that the end must come by the end of 120 years or exactly on the 120th year. However, like with 1975, a parallel is drawn to yet another concept that is supposed to indicate that the end is soon to be upon us.
Knowing what has been written in the pages of the Watchtower in regards to Armageddon's arrival at many different years in the past how can anyone trust the Society after reading a quote like the following?
"A real champion of God's Word, the Holy Bible, and of God's kingdom that will restore God's rightful place in the hearts of men is The Watchtower. For ninety years this faithful journal has been pointing forward to this very time, urging people to turn to the Bible because of the spiritual famine that the Bible itself foretold was to come in our generation." Awake! 1970 Jan 8 p.32
An aware Watchtower reader cannot help but see the irony in the following statement.
"Down through the centuries since Jesus’ day, so many unfulfilled predictions have been made that many no longer take them seriously. … Undeterred by previous failures, some seem to have been spurred on by the approach of the year 2000 and have made further predictions of the end of the world. … The flood of false alarms is unfortunate. They are like the wolf-wolf cries of the shepherd boy — people soon dismiss them, and when the true warning comes, it too is ignored." Awake 1993 Mar 22 3-4 Why So Many False Alarms?
It is sad to see how the Watchtower accounts for the wrong predictions of the past. Rather than accepting responsibility, subtle wording deflects the fault to the members.
"Out of zeal and enthusiasm for the vindication of Jehovah's name, Word and purposes, and the desire for the new system, some of his servants have at times been premature in their expectations." Watchtower 1979 Jul 1 p.29 How Jehovah Guides His People
It is an interesting attitude that the Governing Body shows towards its followers. It appears to feel that people will not serve Jehovah if the do not think he is about to shortly reward them with paradise; that if there is no urgency and no date to work for and pin hopes on, then people will drift away. This is an insult to individual motives. Many Churches are undergoing great growth without any such date as motivation. People have served God for generations based purely on the concept that they will see him in heaven at the end of their earthly life. Seventh-day Adventists follow the Witness concept of this being the last days; yet they have reached similar numbers of people sharing similar morals not based on working to a date but knowing that the time left is short and love of God is what is of primary importance.
Ongoing Date Implications
Despite being known for their failed predictions of Armageddon, the Watchtower does not hold back from criticising other religions that do the same.
"RELIGIOUS LEADERS sometimes predict tragic worldwide events to warn mankind and gather followers. Doomsday prophet Harold Camping and his disciples widely advertised that the earth would be destroyed in 2011. Needless to say, the world is still here." Watchtower 2014 May 1 p.3
The history of the Watchtower Society has been based around the doomsday message that the end is about to come. Statements abound such as in the 1930's book
The New World;
"The Scriptures give good reason to believe that it shall be shortly before Armageddon breaks."
Toward the end of the twentieth century, the Watchtower Society refrained from issuing specific dates for Armageddon, but still has not stopped implying dates and time frames.
Luke warned about those whose message is that the "due time has approached."
"He said: "Look out that YOU are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, 'I am he,' and, 'The due time has approached.' Do not go after them." Luke 21:8
Moses warned against those that make predictions in the name of Jehovah that do not come true.
"And in case you should say in your heart: "How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?" When the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak..." Deuteronomy 18:20-22
The Watchtower says that the standard by which to judge a false messenger is whether their messages "come true."
"Jehovah is the Grand identifier of his true messengers. He identifies them by making the messages he delivers through them come true. Jehovah is also the Great Exposer of false messengers." Watchtower 1997 May 1 p.8
Ironic, considering the Watchtower specifically said the end would come in
1914 and then
1925. This section demonstrated over 20 "messages" promoted by the Watchtower for decades that turned out not to be "true." What does this prove about them as messengers and
prophets ?
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